TO MRS. NELSON. [From Clarke and M'Arthur, vol. i. p. 125.] Off Cape St. Vincent, 14th June, 1793. I sent you a few lines by a vessel in a Convoy we spoke this day week off Scilly, and which turned out to be the Fleet we were waiting to protect; and the East Indiamen passing us the same evening, relieved us from a very unpleasant station. We have had the finest passage and weather possible, but have seen nothing except a poor miserable National brig, which one of the Ships took. I paid Lord Hood a visit a few days back, and found him very civil: I dare say we shall be good friends again. Six Sail of the Line have just parted company, going to Cadiz to water, of which number is Agamemnon. We shall be in Cadiz to-morrow at twelve o'clock, as well as Lord Hood at Gibraltar. We are all well; my Ship remarkably healthy. I am, &c., HORATIO NELSON. TO THE REV. MR. NELSON, HILBOROUGH. [Autograph, in the Nelson Papers.] Agamemnon, ten leagues off Cadiz, June 15th, 1793. My dear Brother, After cruising off Scilly with Lord Hood for a fortnight, in very unpleasant weather, the arrival of the Mediterranean Convoy relieved us from a station where we could hardly expect to see an Enemy, and the last India Convoy passing us in the evening, made Lord Hood quite satisfied. We are nine days from Scilly; a very good passage for a Fleet: and during our run have taken nothing but a miserable National brig of eight guns. If we go on so, we shall soon make for tunes. Last night six Sail of us parted from Lord Hood to water at Cadiz, in order that no time may be lost in watering • Le Vanneau of 6 guns, taken in the Bay of Biscay, by the Colossus 74, Captain Charles Morice Pole. so large a Fleet at Gibraltar. This morning at day [light] we fell in with a Spanish eighty-gun Ship, ninety mounted: there being very little wind, and we the only Ship near her, and fancying her to be French, we fully expected a trimming; for we must have been in action near an hour before any Ship could have come to our assistance. However, as we sail well, that is to come. My Ship is remarkably healthy; myself and Josiah never better. Letters directed for me at Gibraltar will come safe: whether the Foreign postage must be paid I don't know. It will give me pleasure to hear from you, and whenever I have an opportunity and anything to communicate, you may be assured of hearing from me. Give my kind love to Mrs. Nelson and my Aunt, and believe me, Your affectionate Brother, HORATIO NELSON. The June 17.-The Cadiz Vessels just going to leave us. Dons have twenty-three Sail of the Line ready to join us. Time must discover what we are going after. TO MRS. NELSON. [From Clarke and M'Arthur, vol. i. p. 126.] Agamemnon, at Sea, Sunday, 23rd June. We came out this morning, having completed our Ship with everything except wine, which is to be done at Gibraltar. The Spaniards have been very civil to us. We dined on board the Concepcion of one hundred and twelve guns, with the Admiral; and all restraints of going into their Arsenals and Dock-yards were removed. They have four First-rates in commission at Cadiz, and very fine Ships, but shockingly manned If those twenty-one Sail of the Line, which we are to join in the Mediterranean, are not better manned, they cannot be of much use. I am certain if our six Barges' crews, who are picked men, had got on board one of their First rates, they would have taken her. The Dons may make fine Ships,—they cannot, however, make men. 7 From Cadiz. A bull-feast was exhibited, for which the Spaniards are famous; and from their dexterity in attacking and killing of these animals, the ladies choose their husbands. We English had certainly to regret the want of humanity in the Dons and Donnas. The amphitheatre will hold 16,000 people: about 12,000 were present. Ten bulls were selected, and one brought out at a time. Three cavaliers on horseback, and footmen with flags, were the combatants. We had what is called a fine feast, for five horses were killed, and two men very much hurt: had they been killed, it would have been quite complete. We felt for the bulls and horses; and I own it would not have displeased me to have had some of the Dons tossed by the enraged animal. How women can even sit out, much more applaud, such sights, is astonishing. It even turned us sick, and we could hardly go through it: the dead mangled horses with the entrails torn out, and the bulls covered with blood, were too much. However, we have seen one bull-feast, and agree that nothing shall tempt us to see another. The better sort of people never miss one, if within reach of them; and the lowest will sell his jacket, or go without his victuals, rather than be absent. Gibraltar, June 24. P.S.-We arrived here last night, and in a few days' sail shall be up the Mediterranean. God bless and preserve you. HORATIO NELSON. TO WILLIAM LOCKER, ESQ., KENSINGTON. [From Charnock's" Biographical Memoirs of Nelson,” Appendix, p. 45. The original is not now in the Locker Papers.] My dear Friend, Gibraltar, June 24th, 1793. We arrived here last night from Cadiz, where six Sail of the Line have been to water. I have got for you a cask of, I hope, good sherry, which I shall take an early opportunity of sending home, and which I beg you to accept as a proof of my remembrance. We have done nothing, and the same prospect appears before us: the French cannot come out, and we have no means of getting at them in Toulon. We are to be joined off Barcelona by twenty-one Sail of the Line, Spanish: if they are no better manned than those at Cadiz, much service cannot be expected of them, although, as to Ships, I never saw finer Men-of-War. The Lord is in a hurry to get from here: we think he is to hoist the Union. If anything interesting should happen, you may be assured I will let you know it, for believe me, with great truth, Your most obliged and affectionate HORATIO NELSON. Remember me kindly to all your family, Kingsmill, &c. TO H. R. H. THE DUKE OF CLARENCE. [Autograph, in the Nelson Papers. It would seem from a Letter from Nelson to his Royal Highness, dated from the 14th of July to the 8th of August, (in Clarke and M'Arthur, p. 127,) that this Letter was not forwarded. The material variations between the two Letters are given in the Notes.] Sir, Agamemnon, off Cape St. Sebastian, 14th July 1793, to 4th of August. The Fleet sailed from Gibraltar on the 27th June, (as I wrote your Royal Highness by Boyle,9 was Lord Hood's intention,) and a Convoy of fifty Sail of Merchant Ships, with a brisk wind at West, and soon got off Cape de Gatte, since which time we have had either Levanters or calms. Off the Cape, L'Aigle was sent to Barcelona with letters for the Spanish Admiral, and the Iris to Tripoli, and the Convoy left with St. Albans, Castor, Bulldog, and some other Frigates. We have spoke very many Neutral vessels, but no information which, in my opinion, could be depended on; some saying, that Monsieur Egalité was beheaded, and the other Jacobins who were in confinement at Marseilles-that the French had taken three Spanish frigates, and had nearly thirty Sail of the Line ready for Sea at Toulon 10-but as this last information * Lord Hood never hoisted the Union Flag. 9 The Honourable Captain Courtenay Boyle, (vide p. 247,) then a Lieutenant who was sent home from Gibraltar, with Despatches, in command of the Fox cutter. 10 Vide p. 321. 10 we knew to be false, much credit has not, I suppose, been given to the other. Indeed, we now know that not a Spanish frigate has been taken. We saw a Fleet off Alicant on the close of the 7th, and lay-to mid-channel between that place and Iviça. At daylight we formed our line, and soon perceived them to be the Spanish Fleet, twenty-four Sail of the Line. The Dons did not, after several hours' trial, form anything which could be called a Line of Battle ahead. However, after answering our private signals, the Spanish Admiral sent down two Frigates, with answers to Lord Hood's letters by l'Aigle, acquainting him, that as his Fleet was sickly 1900 men, he was going to Carthagena. The Captain of the Frigate said, "It was no wonder they were sickly, for they had been sixty days at Sea." This speech to us appeared ridiculous; for from the circumstance of having been longer than that time at Sea, do we attribute our getting healthy. It has stamped with me the extent of their nautical abilities: long may they remain in their present state. It appeared odd to me that no salutes whatever took place. Leda was sent on the 9th to Barcelona; and yesterday, the 13th, the Frigates joined the Fleet. Inglefield brings nothing new respecting the Toulon Fleet, except that the French are preparing their Ships with forges for shot. This information I humbly think, (if true,) would have been as well kept secret; but as it is known, we must take care to get so close that their red shots can do no mischief. The Fleet received orders yesterday, to consider Marseilles and Toulon as invested, and to take all Vessels of whatever Nation, bound into those Ports. This has pleased us; and may possibly induce these red-hot gentlemen to come out.3 Our Fleet is healthy: we sail in three Divisions, led by Victory, Colossus, and Agamemnon. We do not keep in so 9 The Leda, 36 guns, commanded by Captain, afterwards Admiral Sir George Campbell, G.C.B.: he died in January 1821. 1 Captain John Nicholson Inglefield, of l'Aigle, 36 guns, who was Acting First Captain of Lord Hood's Fleet, in 1794, was made Commissioner of the Navy at Corsica, and afterwards at Gibraltar. 2 July 14. 3 "If we make these red-hot gentlemen hungry, they may be induced to come out."-Copy in Clarke and M'Arthur, vol. i. p. 128. |